Skip to content
Eastern California Museum, Independence, CA

Photo: Liambruckercasey, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Museums

Eastern California Museum

A county-run history and heritage museum in Independence that covers the Owens Valley and the Eastern Sierra.

155 N. Grant St., Independence, CA 93526 · Independence, CA

About Eastern California Museum

Founded in 1928 by volunteers, this Inyo County museum presents the history and natural heritage of the Owens Valley and Eastern Sierra, from Mono Lake to Death Valley. Its Indigenous Lifeways Gallery shows roughly 400 Owens Valley Paiute and Panamint Shoshone baskets. A Manzanar exhibit draws on photos donated by people who were incarcerated there during World War II. Visitors can also see the restored steam locomotive Slim Princess, which sits on the grounds, and the Mary DeDecker Native Plant Garden. A west wing renovation began in March 2026, and the museum says a new gallery is planned for spring 2027.

  • #history
  • #Indigenous basketry
  • #Manzanar
  • #Owens Valley
  • #steam locomotive

What's around here?

The closest stops to Eastern California Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Manzanar National Historic Site

    No admission fee

    Tour the site of a World War II camp where more than 11,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated.

    5.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Alabama Hills

    No admission fee

    Walk among rounded granite boulders and natural arches below Mount Whitney, on land where Westerns have been filmed since 1920.

    14 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Mount Whitney

    Under $25

    Hike 22 miles round trip from Whitney Portal to the highest summit in the contiguous United States, with a permit.

    16 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Diaz Lake Recreation Area

    Check prices

    County-run lake and campground in Inyo County, California, known for fishing and water recreation.

    19 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Iconic

    Kings Canyon National Park

    $25–$50

    See giant sequoias at Grant Grove, then drive Highway 180 down into a glacier-carved canyon more than a mile deep.

    26 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Museums

    Laws Railroad Museum and Historical Site

    Under $25

    A historic railroad depot and village-style grounds near Bishop that display Eastern Sierra life from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

    42 mi awayMore like this

Near Eastern California Museum

More of the same kind

Keep exploring